


The Safe House

by Out_of_Options



Series: Sanctuary Trilogy [2]
Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-16
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-05-24 05:19:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14948313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Out_of_Options/pseuds/Out_of_Options
Summary: It's not just criminals who need a place to hide.Follow on to Sanctuary.I wish I could say that Peaky Blinders was mine. Sadly I can't.





	1. Chapter 1

Alice Wilton hurried home from her shift at The Clifton on Ladypool Road. The lock in had finished a little shy of 10:30pm but the clean-up had taken more than hour and so she wasn't going to reach home until just before midnight. She had been on her feet for nearly 14 hours but instead of being exhausted she was excited. Tommy was coming that night, as he had every Saturday for the last ten months, and she couldn't wait to see him.

He was a coiled spring of a man, ever ready to explode in to action. Tall, lean, and hard, he was capable of both extreme violence and deep sentimentality. By unspoken agreement they talked little about the violence of his life with the Blinders. It had no place in her neat little house or in the sanctuary they created in the comfort of her bed but she had heard enough stories about it. Christ, who hadn't! The thought of it sickened her but they could not shut out the world entirely. He needed the release that could only come from sharing his problems and gradually he told her little snippets about the legal side of his family business: the arguments between two bar maids in one of the pubs; problems with suppliers; his dreams for the future. Her comments and questions were short and to the point and he came to appreciate her lively intelligence. Eventually he began to use her as a sounding board for the less legitimate areas of his work and they enjoyed reasoning through solutions together. It frightened her a little that she was coming to see less and less difference between the two competing strands of his business. At other, darker times he talked of his losses. Of Grace's tragic death and the shock of his son's kidnapping. She knew he would not stand for his loved ones being used against him again and resolved to protect him from that eventuality to her last breath.

The decision might soon be taken out of her hands though. As she let herself in through her front door she allowed herself a brief moment of disquiet. The news she had to tell him was unlikely to be much cause for surprise. Their couplings between the sheets in her bed upstairs or on the rag rug before the fire in the parlour were frequent and intense; a source of deep joy to them both. That a pregnancy should result was hardly a shock. What would come next would be more of a test. She didn't pray often but she did now. 'Please god let him want the child. Please god let it be alright.' She couldn't bear to lose another child nor have Tommy turn away from her.

She moved briskly around her little back to back, drawing up the fire into a hearty blaze, lighting oil lamps, and taking a well wrapped brick from the fireplace to her bed upstairs to warm the sheets. She both loved and hated that bed. It had been a wedding present from her husband, Fred. 'Only fitting for a new bride to begin her married life in a new bed,' he had said to much ribald teasing from their friends and relations. Of course the bed was not actually new, being far too expensive for his small wage, but it was new to them and the ticking mattress had come directly from Dennetts. That bed had seen a lot of laughter in the first year of their marriage and a lot of tears later on. Both of them had been virgins when they wed and learning the pleasures of each other's bodies had been a constant delight. After a year she had fallen pregnant and they looked forward to the birth with excitement and a certain amount of trepidation.

All was well at first. Then she was brought to bed early. A terrible labour producing only a stillborn child had left her at the point of death. When she came back into herself Fred had become another man entirely. Terrified of losing her he refused to touch her again and their relationship had become as cold and barren as their marriage bed. They might have found a way back to each other but war had been declared and he'd signed up right away, joining the British Expeditionary Force in France. Within six weeks he was dead, killed by a shell during the great Allied victory at Marne. Shaken by the depth of her grief and fearing that she had driven him to his death she had taken to her bed for a month, tended by kind hearted neighbours.

In October 1914 she had risen, put on her best dress, and gone directly to volunteer her services as a nurse, the job she had trained for before her short-lived marriage. Within months she was in France and later Belgium. The suffering she had seen there had put her own losses into perspective and it gave her some insight into the mind of the enigma that was Tommy Shelby.

The soft click of the latch below startled her from her reverie. He was finally here! Clamping down on her nerves she hurtled downstairs to meet him. In his arms he held a package. He seldom turned up empty handed. It was usually a small trifle, chocolates, a bottle of spirits, sometimes a magazine; certainly nothing that she would find hard to explain away to her inquisitive neighbours but she loved them nevertheless. They kept him close between visits. On one occasion he had brought her a pendant with a gaudy red stone. He had tried to convince her that it was nothing more than brass and paste but she recognised quality when she saw it and had refused to accept it. Obediently he took it away with him when he left and the following week he had returned laughing with two old pop eyed china dogs for the mantel instead. This time he grinned at her and held the package aloft. 'Bacon cakes for breakfast'. She grinned in return infected by his high spirits. As she reached up for the fettle, he drew her in for a lingering kiss.

Drawing back a little, reluctant to leave the safety of his arms, she said, 'I told you you would always find a warm meal and a warm bed here. Which do you want first?'

'Food please,' he said with a sigh. 'I've not eaten all day - trouble with the coppers again – and I'm half starved'. He hung his coat and cap on the hook by the door and settled in to the easy chair next to the fire with a sigh of relief. She dished up some of the beef soup which was warming on the range and perched on the settee watching him intently whilst he bolted it down. 'This is good stuff, love,' he groaned. 'Any chance of some whiskey to go with it?'

She hated the taste of whiskey and he knew it. He also knew the penalty to be paid for drinking it before he came to her bed. With a wicked grin she fetched him the best tea cup and a new bottle of the Paddy Whiskey which she'd had fetched over from Cork especially for him. 'Why not have two?' she said a little breathlessly. Nothing made her catch her breath more quickly than the thought of Tommy Shelby bringing her to orgasm with his talented tongue. It was a price they both willingly paid for his love of whiskey. A pulse began to throb insistently between her thighs. How long would he make her wait this time?


	2. Chapter 2

Never one to rush his pleasure, Shelby took his time over the whiskey, absent-mindedly tracing circles on Alice's sensitive skin and making desultory conversation. Later he took even more time between Alice's legs leaving them both sated and with bones like jelly. In the afterglow, as he idly twirled one of her heavy brown curls between his fingers, she knew that she had to speak up before she lost her nerve entirely.

'I'm pregnant, Tommy,' she said in a rush. 'It's been three months since I last had my courses. I'm so sorry. I would have told you sooner but I wanted to be sure'. He stopped twirling her hair, going absolutely still. 'For god's sake Tommy, say something!' She shifted up to search his face for clues but he had closed down completely. It was all going wrong. He would leave her for sure and there was no pity for an unmarried mother in Birmingham if she had no family to keep her. Despair overwhelmed her, and though she had promised herself that she wouldn't cry no matter what, she couldn't prevent a few bitter tears welling up. Damn it! She despised women who cried.

He stroked her hair softly. 'Stop blarting sweetheart. It'll be OK. Charlie needs a brother.' He paused, 'or a sister.' If anything this caused her to cry harder. She dropped her head into his shoulder. 'What is it, mo gra?' He tipped her head up and stared into her eyes intently. 'Don't you want it? Is that the problem? Are you scared?' His touch was gentle, comforting.

In truth she was a little bit frightened - after last time how could she not be - but she shook her head. At that moment nothing would please her more than holding a living child of Tommy Shelby.

'It's relief, that's all. I wasn't sure how you'd take it.' She took a deep breath to calm herself. 'Now we just need to decide what to do for the best.'

'We'll get married,' he said decisively, placing one splayed hand on her abdomen where their child grew. 'We'll get the banns read at the same place where Grace and I said our vows. You're not a Catholic but the priest is happy to look the other way if you give him enough of a reason to. You can move in to the house straight away though. You'll be safer there.'

'No,' she said.

He pulled back in confusion. 'What to do you mean "no"?'

'I won't marry you, Tommy. Not under any circumstances. Nor will I move in to that bloody mausoleum of yours.'

He growled at her, 'No child of mind will be born a bastard and I need you both where I can protect you '

'And no child of mine will be used as a pawn in whatever war the Peaky Blinders get involved in next. Look what happened to Charlie!' Her throat clenched. 'There has to be another way' They glared at each other, both convinced of the rightness of their position and neither willing to back down. They lay back in silence, not touching. Once again the little bed had gone from a place of joy to a place of frustration and anger.

'It'll be getting light soon,' he said finally, his voice tight with anger and hurt. 'I'd better go before your neighbours wake up. Can't have any talk, can we?' His sarcasm was palpable.

He slid out of bed and dressed rapidly in the chill air, his back to her. Finally turning to face her, fists bunched tight by his sides, he said roughly 'This isn't over Alice.' Then he stalked from the room without a backward glance. As he left she heard his fist hit the wall. Her small house felt very large and empty without his intense presence but she wouldn't change her mind - she couldn't - not even at the risk of ending up in the workhouse. Exhausted and heartsick she drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Polly Gray was an unhappy woman. She was losing control of her menfolk and it was all the fault of the women in their lives. Men and their cocks never ceased to amaze her. Things had been easier when they had all been away at war and she had had total control of the firm. Now Arthur was off doing god knows what with his Quaker woman. John was erratic and his wife was a constant source of irritation. As for Tommy… he was being secretive and close-lipped. Disappearing every Saturday night and returning, exhausted and reeling, shortly before dawn on Sunday. It had to be a woman but for once, other than an occasional smirk or quip sent in his direction, the boys were being tight-lipped. It was beyond frustrating. She was in the dark and she hated it.

Unable to sleep she got up whilst it was still dark and sat sipping whiskey in the kitchen below stairs, ruminating on who the woman could be. It had to be someone she would disapprove of, she reasoned, otherwise what would be the point of hiding it. Not Lizzy though, of that she was certain. Tommy always banged her in the Shelby Company offices after closing and Lizzy had confided in her not long ago that Tommy hadn't called on her services in nearly a year. That Lizzy was an odd one. It was hard to tell whether she had been happy or sad about Tommy's lack of interest. She had just stood there, like a child reciting her lessons. Polly had been suspicious at first. Who wouldn't be - once a whore always a whore after all – but she knew that Lizzy was a terrible liar. Who could it be then: a copper's wife perhaps or the beloved daughter of a rival gangster or a Romani king? She hardly dared to think. Would Tommy be that stupid? Of course he would be. For all his pretentions to being a deep thinker and a strategist he was still a man - always letting his cock lead the way. After the nightmare of his marriage to Grace she knew that she could no longer trust his choices where women were concerned.

There wasn't enough booze in the world to handle this shit so she put the kettle on. It was definitely a two pot problem.

\---

Tommy stormed into the kitchen as the sun came up, ignoring the tea that was brewing he snatched up the open bottle of whiskey from the table without a word. He plainly had a cob on. Polly watched him silently as he poured himself a generous measure, downed it, and then refilled his glass. Taking the bottle back she topped herself up.

'Spill it,' she said.

Tommy flung himself down in the chair opposite her, glowering furiously. 'There's a woman,' he growled, finally.

'Well of course there is,' Polly responded with a sigh, eyes rolling. Sometimes she hated to be right.

'It's the widow over at Balsall Heath, the one that helped me out last year when the Changrettas kicked off.' He paused, gently rubbing his bruised knuckles. 'She's pregnant. I offered to make an honest woman of her but she turned me down, said she'd never have me.' He looked down at his glass, refusing to meet her eyes. 'I don't know what to do Pol', he admitted softly.

Polly tried to keep a straight face but the combination of the look of hurt outrage on his face and the notion that he would dare to use the word 'honest' in relation to any aspect of the Shelby family's activities was too much for her. She cracked up. At his look of fury she collected herself, biting her top lip to contain her laughter. Reaching out she patted his hand comfortingly. 'Just leave everything to your Aunt Polly. Now why don't you tell me exactly what's been going on?'


	4. Chapter 4

Alice was frankly terrified. Being summoned to Arrow House was bad enough but the name at the bottom of the telegram, Elizabeth Gray, made it ten times worse. Where the Shelby men committed horrific acts of violence with their blades and fists, their Aunt Polly could eviscerate you with a look. Polly would want her out of the way. She would want the baby gone. Reflexively her hand dropped to her belly. Maybe Polly would try to pay her off. Could she live without Tommy if it meant keeping the child safe? Over the last 24 hours there was almost no horrific intention that she hadn't laid at Polly's door. Now she was sliding around in the back seat of an elegant Bentley Vanden Plas trying to keep her breakfast down.

As the car swept up the driveway towards the Shelby mansion Alice felt increasingly small and poor. She was wearing her best outfit but she'd had to turn the collar on her blouse to hide the fraying and her skirt, though perfectly respectable, was heavily darned. She was relieved that at least no one would be in a position to see the hole in the bottom of her shoe. All in all she did not feel up to having an interview with the matriarch of the Shelby clan. Too late for regrets now though, she thought, she was about to beard the lion in its den.

\---

Polly Gray was not impressed with her first sight of Alice Wilton. She was pretty enough with her sorrowful eyes and mass of dark hair but she seemed a timid mouse, overwhelmed by both the location and the company. Alice's every move suggested that she wanted to take up the smallest space available; to apologise for drawing breath. At least Grace had had the balls to look her in the eye when she cursed her! Polly could hardly believe that this was the creature that had saved Tommy's life and commanded his attention for almost a year. She certainly couldn't believe that this meek looking woman had dared to refuse her his offer of marriage. To Polly there was no doubt that Alice would be a bad match for Tommy. She wondered briefly if the child was even his. In her mind the only question now was what it would take to get this woman out of his life and out of his head.

They took tea in the library. At first Polly played the gracious hostess asking delicate questions about Alice's past and her family connections but it was not long before the gloves came off. It was only then that she caught a glimpse of the inner steel that had captivated her nephew. Alice took everything Polly threw at her, defending herself coolly and without rancour. She clearly loved Tommy and was determined to keep the child. In return Tommy was equally determined to marry her. With one simple little word Alice could be lifted from near poverty to the heights of luxury and her child would have a name, yet she had still turned him down. Used to people who would do almost anything for money, Polly was intrigued. At this point there was only one question left to ask.

'Why did you refuse him?' she asked, curiosity piqued.

Alice paused, considering, then, returning Polly's gaze steadily she said simply, 'I'm not what he needs. My love isn't enough to keep him safe. He has to have a wife that can bring him money, respectability, or connections or better still all three.' She swept her hair back from her forehead with both hands, knotting her fingers in the curls at the back of her neck. 'I can't give him any of those things. I would just make him more vulnerable.' Her voice cracked. She paused, as if embarrassed by the strength of her emotions, then she continued in a whisper, 'I dearly want him to be happy but mostly, for his sake, and the child's, I want him to be safe.'

Bloody hell, Polly thought in surprise, I never expected to like her. Polly hadn't met a woman she'd truly liked in at least ten years and she honestly wasn't sure how to parse the feeling.

'There is one possible solution,' Alice said slowly. Finally! Here came the shake-down. Polly was both relieved and disappointed; this she knew how to handle. What Alice said next surprised her.

'You know I was a nurse, right?' Polly nodded guardedly. 'Set me up in a boarding house off the books. I can run it on the quiet as a Shelby family safe house. Anyone who needs care or to simply hide out can be sent to me and I can tend them until they're back on their feet. I can even take in paying guests if they have the right kind of background. In return Tommy's child can grow up there at arm's length from the business. No one will think him worth bothering with so he'll be safe enough but what could be more natural than Tommy visiting his men as they recuperate or coming round to check up on one of his businesses? That way he can spend time there with his child, with me, and then the child, boy or girl, can be brought in to the family when they're older. What do you think?' Nervously she waited for Polly's verdict.

Polly paused her cunning mind running rapidly through the possibilities. Alice had plainly spent a considerable amount of time reasoning things out. If things went as planned the child would be safe, the family would have a new business opportunity, and, best of all from Polly's point of view, Tommy would be free to marry in a way that most profited the family. The child would be a bastard but it wouldn't be the first one that they had welcomed into the Shelby clan. Now they just needed to find a way to convince Tommy that it was the right thing to do. Polly called for something stronger and then she and Alice spent the rest of the morning with their heads together coming up with a workable plan. Protecting Thomas Shelby from himself became a driving motivation for them both

Finally satisfied with their deliberations the two women relaxed and smiled at each other. They had worked well together, each bringing something different to the table, and now they were ready to put their plans in to action.

Poor Tommy wouldn't know what hit him.


	5. Chapter 5

Tommy sat impassively in his study, a cigarette dangling from his lips, as the two women he loved most in the world took turns to lay out the plan they had devised. Only the tapping of one long finger against the side of his whiskey glass betrayed his growing anger. When they had finished he scowled at them both furiously.

'Don't be so fucking stupid the pair of you!' he snarled. 'Alice, I'm going to take you back to your place in half an hour, you can pack up all your stuff, and we'll be back here by nightfall.' Grinding out his cigarette he stalked from the room, slamming the door behind him.

'Well that could have gone better,' said Polly sardonically, looking at Alice with one eyebrow raised. 'Honestly, sometimes I doubt our Tommy has the sense he was born with.'

'He thinks I don't trust him, doesn't he? Alice asked sadly.

Polly rolled her eyes. 'Men really are fragile creatures, love and they sometimes struggle to see reason. Not to worry', she added with a consoling smile, 'he'll soon see what's good for him.'

The two women sat in awkward silence for a few minutes lost in their own thoughts. Then Alice stood, chafing her hands together nervously. 'I'd better go and find him and see what's to be done.'

\---

Tommy was outraged. The idea of Alice being alone with any of his rough-mannered soldiers, wounded or not, filled Tommy with horror; he could hardly forget how her days and nights of caring for him had ended! And as for her ridiculous notion that he would allow her to play housekeeper to a stream of dodgy men looking for a safe place to stay whilst they went about their nefarious business… He was completely lost for words!

But whilst Tommy was angry he also felt an overwhelming sense of guilt and shame. He knew that his life was a dirty violent mess and that if had the strength he should send Alice away. For her part it was clear that she didn't think that he could protect her, and he could hardly blame her. Grace had been killed right in front of him and he had actually allowed to Charlie to be taken right out of his arms by a woman in the pay of his enemies; she was naturally scared that it would happen again. When all was said and done what kind of man was he if he couldn't protect what he loved?

If he was honest with himself he knew that the truth of it was that he felt undeserving of Alice - of her kindness and goodness - but he didn't think he could bear the thought of life without her. That's why he needed her up at Arrow House as quickly as possible where he could set men to watching her and keep her and the child safe from those who might try to harm them. Overwhelmed by the conflicting emotions surging through him he stormed through the scullery to the outbuildings where he spent a satisfying few minutes punching and kicking anything within reach.

\---

Alice found him sometime later in the stable yard where he was soothing his bruised knuckles under the freezing water of the pump. Cooing at the sight of the scrags on his skin she took his strong hands in her own delicate ones and pulled him over to sit with her on a bale of straw. They sat side by side for a short while, wordlessly leaning against each other and taking comfort from the other's warmth.

'I trust you Tommy,' she said eventually. 'Please never doubt it. I know that you would always come for me and our child and damn the consequences.' He looked at her closely, wanting desperately to see the truth of it in her eyes. She reached up and stroked his face, then ran one finger delicately along his full bottom lip. 'And that's just one of the reasons why I can be your wife.'

'Please, Alice, you can't mean it', he said a little desperately, his hurt evident.

'I can and I do,' she replied simply. She pulled him close, resting her cheek against his hair. 'You still cry out for Grace in your sleep sometimes,' she whispered. She drew back again, meeting his gaze steadily. 'I won't allow myself to become another one of your nightmares nor have anyone use me, or our child, against you. We have to keep this a secret, Tommy. No one outside of your immediate family can ever know – or at least not until the child is grown. It's the only way to be sure and you know it.'

Defeated, he dropped his head to her shoulder and buried his face in her neck like a child seeking comfort. 'Christ, Alice, what a mess.'

'I know love,' she murmured sadly. 'But we'll work it through.'


	6. Chapter 6

There was no more talk of Alice moving in to Arrow House. Instead, Tommy speedily made arrangements to purchase a large property on a busy road on the outskirts of Birmingham and within a matter of weeks Alice had said goodbye to her old life and hello to the new. She was slightly saddened that there was really no one that she wanted to keep in touch with - it already seemed like a distant memory. Alice, with subtle help from Polly, oversaw the building's public conversion in to a boarding house and its private conversion in to a safe house ensuring that the two sections were kept totally separate. Whilst the new premises took shape Tommy was a frequent visitor always arriving as soon as darkness fell. They took great pleasure in christening every room in the house including the snug little 'priest's hole' which they had had built in to an odd space under the stairs as a last refuge for fugitives.

Very occasionally Alice stayed over at the big house where she had been introduced as a recent widow now employed to manage one of the company's legitimate businesses. Like most of the clan she was uncomfortable with the building's size and ostentation and in consequence she spent the majority of her time there hidden away in the kitchen rubbing her swelling belly, canting with Polly, and getting under the feet of the servants. For their part, the servants, well used to the odd behaviour of their employers, paid her little mind.

Other than Polly and Tommy, the only one that knew the whole truth about her was Arthur who had met her many months previously when she had first saved Tommy's life. Arthur took great pleasure in flirting with her in the most outrageous way possible knowing that Tommy would never be able to step in if he meant to keep up the pretence that she was merely a trusted employee. Alice played along with Arthur's flirting gleefully, knowing that it drove Tommy wild.

'Do you want him, Alice?' Tommy would ask with a mock growl as the fell into bed. 'Do you want my brother more than me?'

She would giggle a denial and then let him show her why she would never need any other man but him. She couldn't deny that it added a little spice.

\---

Gradually the boarding house became a functioning business popular with men who wanted to eat well, sleep in safety, and come and go, no questions asked. The building functioned as neutral ground and on more than one occasion men who nodded cordially to each other over breakfast would come to kill one another by tea time. It also became the custom for guests to leave one or two letters behind with Alice to be forwarded on to wives or girlfriends (or both) in the event that their business in Birmingham went badly. In return they paid Alice well for the privilege and over the first few months she was able to take on Jenny and Edie, the daughters of two of Tommy's lieutenants as a maid of all work and a cook respectively. In a separate area injured men were brought in for nursing. The constant presence of so many people, particularly the watchful Edie, made intimacy between Alice and Tommy difficult, and they took to sneaking off to hotels in Solihull and Dudley, Alice telling her staff that she was going to visit her mother.

As her pregnancy advanced her two assistants proved invaluable. They took over most of the heavy work leaving her to manage the books and concentrate on the care of the injured.

Now the house was empty of paying guests and injured men; instead it was full of women laughing and chatting all focused on distracting Alice from the long night ahead. As she lacked female relatives of her own (excepting a mysteriously 'unwell' mother, of course) Polly and Esme had come to sit with her and Jenny and Edie had likewise decided to stay until the baby had safely arrived. Despite the interminable wait there was plenty for them to do: knitting and stitching; massaging Alice's swollen feet and ankles and rubbing her aching back; sorting terry cloths and baby clothes. Alice's old bed had been made up with extra blankets to protect the mattress. The pram and crib had been well polished but remained safely stowed in the shed out the back where they could bring no bad luck on the house. The doctor had visited and had pronounced himself happy with the way things were progressing and a certified midwife was due to arrive soon. Everything that could be done had been done. It was now up to Alice.

When her pains had begun, Alice had started to walk slowly up and down her bedroom floor, seeking relief in the gentle movement but she found it impossible to relax. After her last disastrous labour she was deeply frightened. She hadn't seen Tommy in weeks and she desperately wanted him with her now but without any of his men there for nursing he had no excuse to visit.

As the long hours passed with nothing to show for it Polly began to become seriously worried. The midwife had proved to be a hopeless old drunk and the doctor had been called away to another patient. Now Alice was weakening.

'We'd better call Tommy,' Polly whispered to Esme. 'He should be here – just in case'

'Why Tommy?' Esme asked confused. Polly glared at her for a moment and finally understanding dawned in Esme's eyes. 'Jesus, Pol you kept that one quiet!' she said and dashed off to ring the big house.

Inventing madly, Polly found reasons to clear the house of people. When Tommy arrived an hour later only Polly and Esme were left. What he saw in Esme's face as she opened the door terrified him. Shaking her off, he pelted up the stairs to where Alice lay, pain wracked and exhausted. Polly left the room at his arrival, shaking her head sadly. It took Alice some time to realise that Tommy was even there and when she did the weakness of her grip on his hand frightened him further.

'Oh, love – I'm so sorry', he said a little desperately. 'I shouldn't have left you to do this alone.'

Gradually his presence calmed her and seemed to give her a measure of renewed strength. As she relaxed, she felt the child shift within her and with the next few contraction she realised that something had changed. 'Get Polly,' she hissed between gritted teeth as she was assailed by another the pain. 'I don't think it will be long now'.

With Tommy's help Esme and Polly manoeuvred Alice up until she was squatting and supported her as she continued to labour. 30 minutes later the baby finally entered the world in a welter of blood and fluid. Alice collapsed back against Tommy who cradled her gently. He looked down at his squalling new born son awestruck. Charlie had been born in a lying-in hospital and Tommy's presence had not been required. Seeing a child of his coming in to the world for the first time was almost overwhelming.

'You have to get out now, Tommy,' Polly said hurriedly. 'The others will be back soon and they can't find you here. Otherwise this will all have been for nothing. Anyway, this is women's business.'

Knowing when he had been dismissed he kissed first an exhausted but happy Alice, his tiny son, and then Polly and Esme. With a spring in his step he raced down stairs- time to pass on the good news to his brothers.

\---

A few weeks later, once Alice's laying-in period was complete, the Shelby family's inner circle met to welcome its newest member. Following the toast Alice bent down to change the baby's wrappings. Arthur peered over her shoulder looking down suspiciously, 'Look at the poor lad's tiny fuckin' cock!' he exclaimed in mock surprise. He grinned up at John. 'Must take after his father!' John snickered and Tommy lamped them both in response.

Rolling her eyes at their clarting about, Polly turned to Alice. 'I'm just sorry we aren't welcoming you into the family too. We could do with a few more adults around here.'

\---

Tommy and Alice's story continues in 'Dissolution'.


End file.
